A MAN paid for roofing work he did on an elderly woman's home went on to steal several hundred pounds from her.

Lee Featon succumbed to theft the same day he returned to the address with a receipt, Preston Crown Court heard.

He was jailed for a year on appearing for sentence at Preston crown Court.

The 18-year-old of Oxcliffe Road, Heysham, had pleaded guilty to a charge of theft.

Miss Judith McCullough, prosecuting, said the victim was a 79-year-old woman living in Morecambe.

In July last year, Featon and someone else went to her home to solicit work for some missing roof tiles. The work was carried out and she paid.

She later checked the place where she kept money and found that £450 had been removed.

The matter was reported to police and two fingerprints of the defendant were found where the money had previously been kept.

Mr Jeremy Lasker, defending, explained that over the last ten years Featon had earned a living working on people's homes.

"On this occasion, the work was justified, carried out properly and properly charged.

"The real concern is the theft of money from inside the elderly lady's house."

Judge Charles Mahon told Featon: "This was a very mean offence against a particularly vulnerable member of society. There is no question of dealing with this other than custody."